The present disclosure relates generally to battery systems, such as those used for vehicles deriving at least a portion of their power from an electrical power source. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for a service disconnect unit for such battery systems.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Vehicles, such as cars, trucks, and vans, are widely used to facilitate the movement of people and goods in modern society. Vehicles may utilize a number of different energy sources (e.g., a hydrocarbon fuel, a battery pack, a capacitance system, a compressed air system) to produce motive power. In particular, the term “xEV” may be used to describe any vehicle that derives at least a portion of its motive power from an electric power source (e.g., a battery system). For example, electric vehicles (EVs), which may also be referred to as all-electric vehicles, typically include a battery system and use electric power for all of their motive power. As such, EVs may be principally dependent on a plug-in power source to charge a battery system, while other power generation/conservation systems (e.g., regenerative braking systems) may help extend the life of the battery and the range of the EV during operation.
Two specific sub-classes of xEV are the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Both the HEV and the PHEVs generally include an internal combustion engine in addition to a battery system. For the PHEV, as the name suggests, the battery system is capable of being charged from a plug-in power source. A series hybrid vehicle (e.g., a series PHEV or HEV) uses the internal combustion engine to turn a generator that, in turn, supplies current to an electric motor to move the vehicle. In contrast, a parallel hybrid (e.g., a parallel PHEV or HEV) can simultaneously provide motive power from an internal combustion engine and a battery powered electric drive system. That is, certain xEVs may use electrical energy stored in the battery system to boost (i.e., provide additional power to) the powertrain of the vehicle. Furthermore, xEVs (e.g., PHEVs and HEVs) may take advantage of opportunistic energy capture (e.g., via regenerative braking systems or similar energy conservation systems) in addition to using at least a portion of the power from the engine to charge the battery system.
In general, xEVs may provide a number of advantages as compared to traditional, gas-powered vehicles that solely rely on internal combustion engines for motive power. For example, xEVs may produce fewer undesirable emission products and may exhibit greater fuel efficiency as compared to vehicles using only internal combustion engines to propel the vehicle. Furthermore, for some xEVs, such as all-electric EVs that lack an internal combustion engine, the use of gasoline may be eliminated entirely.
In the event that an xEV requires service or repair, it may be desirable to disconnect the battery system. Current service disconnect units may be difficult to access. For example, accessing the terminals of the battery module to disconnect the battery typically requires tools and technical expertise that only a skilled technician would possess. Due to the limited number of skilled technicians and the possibility that the necessary tools may not be available when the battery module needs to be disconnected, it would be desirable to have service disconnect unit that provides an easier way to disable the battery module.